The exemplary embodiment relates to identification of available locations and finds particular application in connection with a system and method for alerting a vehicle driver as to the locations of available parking spaces near a selected destination.
Navigation systems for vehicle drivers are now widely used due to the development of the Global Positioning System and applications able to compute a route from a local position to a selected destination. These systems are often able to propose alternate routes depending on user preferences and traffic conditions. If the driver wishes to park the vehicle upon reaching the destination, the driver will often search for a parking space at the destination and, if none is available, search nearby streets for an available parking space. This can be time consuming, especially when the driver is unfamiliar with the area and the parking spaces are mostly occupied. One solution is to employ an advanced navigation system to identify the closest parking location. However, such systems usually only have information on large public parking garages and parking lots which may be far from the selected destination.
There remains a need for a system and method which assist a driver in locating an available parking space which is close to the selected destination.